An Archaeological Field Evaluation on Site of Former Inwoods House, Ashlawn Road, Rugby, Warwickshire

All work followed the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) Code of Conduct (rev. 2022) and was undertaken in accordance with their Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (rev. 2023). The archaeological work followed the methodical statement set out in the Written Scheme for Archaeological Field Evaluation (WSI) prepared by ULAS (ULAS 2024) and agreed with the Planning Archaeologist. The accession number (RTA 1151) was used to identify all records and artefacts. Fieldwork was carried out by ULAS between 4th and 8th March January 2024 and was followed by post-excavation and reporting. The WSI set out a programme of evaluation, consisting of trial trenches located across the area. Excavation was carried out with two simultaneously running 360� excavators fitted with flat-bladed buckets to expose the underlying strata. A total of eight trenches (four measuring c.50m long, three measuring c.40m long and one measuring c.30m long) were opened to provide c4% coverage of the proposed development area (Figure 6) whilst avoiding the site constraints. This report details the results of an archaeological evaluation carried out by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) on land at the site of the former Inwoods House, Ashlawn Road, Rugby, Warwickshire (SP 50516 72372). The work was undertaken between 4th-8th March 2024 as the first stage of archaeological work to satisfy a Planning Condition for residential development. The site is situated in an area of archaeological potential. A Bronze Age / Iron Age pit alignment and a double ditched enclosure were previously identified to the north-west of the site, whilst recent fieldwork on the opposite side of Ashlawn Road also revealed Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman occupation of the area. Archaeological activity comprising ditches and gullies dating to the Late Iron Age / Early Roman period, was identified in several trenches in the northern part of the development. The placement of the linear features coupled with a lack of associated finds suggests that these represent field systems or stock enclosures potentially linked to late prehistoric activity observed north of Ashlawn Road. The more substantial ditches in Trench 8 at the southern end of the evaluation area are undated and so may not be contemporary with the Late Iron Age activity revealed in the other trenches. However, their position and alignment on a southern downslope is suggestive of a function linked to site drainage. The archive for the work will be deposited with Rugby Art Gallery and Museum under accession number RTA 1151.